


View From Above

by frogfarm



Series: Faith the Vampire Slayer [10]
Category: Angel: the Series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)
Genre: Consent Issues, F/F, Free Agency, Gen, Identity Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-02-12
Updated: 2008-02-12
Packaged: 2018-05-03 14:20:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5294453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frogfarm/pseuds/frogfarm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dana's returned to London and the new Watcher's Council, having failed to integrate back into the world even with Faith and Willow's help. Dawn decides there's only one girl for the job.</p>
            </blockquote>





	View From Above

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wedowhat](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=wedowhat).



> Post-[Faith the Vampire Slayer](http://archiveofourown.org/series/562) 1x01, ["Big Country"](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11165).

Once Dawn stood atop the world, and looked down, and was afraid.

Now she lives in London, learns dead languages and cares for a girl, barely her own age, who speaks with a thousand dead voices, at least as many more still alive. On bad days it's Glory's mindsuck all over again, spoonfeeding Dana by hand, hoping they won't have to resort to restraints. Which there haven't been many of, since the girl's return from the states; but the haggard look in Giles' eye, the guarded weariness of Watcher and Slayer alike, told Dawn she was right to come.

She's more surprised Buffy didn't try harder to talk her out of it. But even with an ever-growing army at her side, big sister is still fighting the same battles. Buffy just nods, says she understands. This is something Dawn has to do.

Which doesn't make her feel better. Until Buffy blows off the Immortal, and they go out for gelato.

 

* * *

 

She quickly establishes their daily routine, once Giles practically gives her carte blanche after the first week. Dawn's first step is to throw out the rulebook, followed by the textbook, based on her primary assumption that _Dana Is Not Crazy._ Which comes as news to most of them, but seems like basic common sense to a girl who still thinks her big sister in love is the Everest of crazy.

This results in an hour-long argument with Giles regarding definitions and the DSM, after which the senior Watcher throws up his hands and concedes defeat. Dawn doesn't see what's so hard. It's not the first paradigm they've broken. And Dana doesn't fit the categories for any diagnosis, from schizophrenia to multiple personality (despite the apparent _prima facie_ absurdity of this last denial).

She's something new. Unique, and scary.

Dawn can relate.

 

* * *

 

Dana doesn't take to her right away. In fact their initial meeting is more of a stress test than any of the days to follow, when the Slayer's first words to Dawn are

 _I don't have a sister_.

Dawn takes it in stride. "Seems to me you've got a few too many."

Everyone else is appalled.

Dana laughs.

 

* * *

 

Dawn doesn't have to remind herself about power and responsibility: Dana's not merely an open book, but a living diary, one that no lock and key can possibly contain. When Dawn first arrived, there were two filing cabinets overflowing with notes of the Slayer's every spoken word. They're up to five, expanding at a rate near exponential.

Dawn's been through them all at least twice. Most of the stuff about her sister she already knew -- some to her regret -- which cuts down on the urge to remotely spy on Buffy's latest shenanigans. The other Slayers are alternately relieved someone else is picking up the slack, fearful and/or suspicious that Dana will blab their innermost secrets, and in some cases jealous of the attention. Except for the two crushing on Xander (and Dawn honestly didn't mean to ask, it just slipped out, and it really was for the best so she could at least give him fair warning).

More than anything, Dawn doesn't want to jeopardize the trust she's building. One of the main reasons they get along is their semi-paradoxical lack of connection, and no matter how much Dana (and through her, Faith) swears otherwise, Dawn can't help but think that awkward, unwanted bond is part of what drove Faith to send her back. Maybe not so much embarrassment for herself as for the girl sharing her every snuggle with a loved one.

Which is another thing not many of them talk about. Xander is still around, recuperating from his travels, but other than him and Giles there's nobody else around from back in the day. Noone who remembers the things she does; noone who remembers the people. It makes her wish Tara had slept with a Slayer. Willow is the elephant in the room, the absent mother of all potentials, the inadvertent architect of Dana's misery, and Dawn hates feeling like the only person who misses her.

Xander says she looked great.

Until Dawn asked, he didn't say a word about Faith.

 

* * *

 

The volumes of lore continue to grow. In some ways, it's the new Council's crowning achievement. The meticulous detail, the level of indexing and annotation, would surely be worth a doctorate.

Dawn throws herself into the work.

Hard to believe she'd ever wanted to be a Slayer, once upon a time.

 

* * *

 

She breaks down, once, and asks.

_Is Faith happy?_

Dana pauses, like she shouldn't tell, then shrugs and smiles.

_Close as it gets._

 

\--


End file.
